Criminal elements exposed in North Belfast

In recent months activists in RNU have been proactively dealing with community issues. We have been to the forefront in supporting the homeless, supporting sporting activities in the Waterworks and we have stood shoulder to shoulder with working class communities in their opposition to austerity measures.

While doing this positive work, some individuals began to stand out for their disinterest in RNU, their community and Republicanism in general. Their contributions in most cases were zero, so it came as no surprise to us when they started bonding together.

RNU began a process last year of purging some of these people from our ranks and other initiatives we’re involved in. Around this time they began to gather around a group of people mainly based in the New Lodge area. Some of those in question were old enough to have played in role in Republicanism in the past, but never done so as they had nothing to gain. Bizarrely now they want to play a role, but only in ‘community policing’. The same men have never shown any interest in our community but pretend they are led by an anti-drugs policy.

The reality however, is that most of these men are engaged in abhorrent criminal activity. They extort and tax not only drug dealers but local businesses. They have spent more time destroying the much needed social housing being built on North Queen Street and depriving people in our community of a home, than they have tackling the growing drug issue within the same community. Simply put, they are criminals attempting to use Republicanism to give themselves a political cover for their criminality. Some people connected to this group are genuine, however misguided and being led up the garden path by criminals attempting to exploit their youthful eagerness. We in RNU encourage these people to give this group of charlatans a wide berth.

We would like to put on record that Paddy McCloskey and Bernard McWilliams have no association with RNU, the Henry Joy McCracken band or any other section of our movement. Their actions are irreconcilable with Republicanism.

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